BMW guide

A preview and stats for this week's European Tour event - the BMW International Open in Munich.

By Dave Tindall

Last Updated: 19/06/13 5:41pm

How the final leaderboard looked when Golfclub Munchen Eichenried last staged the event in 2011

The European Tour returns to Munich for the 25th staging of the BMW International Open.

Following an interlude of one year, Golfclub Munchen Eichenried is back on the rota having undergone a makeover plus a handful of structural changes.

Since it last held the event in 2011, a number of upgrades have been carried out some of which are aimed at improving the experience for the viewing spectators.

Four holes at Eichenried, traditionally one of the lower scoring venues in pro golf, have been toughened up.

According to Korbinian Kofler, managing director at Munchen Eichenried, "the tees on the second and sixth holes have been moved back, while water obstacles on the 16th and 18th have been increased in size to make the approach shots to the respective greens more difficult."

"Dustin Johnson likes to overpower golf courses," his coach Butch Harmon said in an interview with Skysports.com last week.

That ethos clearly wasn't going to work at Merion where a restrained Johnson finished down in the pack (55th).

However, this week's course is one where he can putt his awesome hitting to use and that's what makes him an attractive bet at 18/1.

DJ has done very well on his trips to European soil.

He was runner-up in the 2011 Open at Royal St George's, ninth at Lytham last year and 14th at St Andrews in his three Open starts while he was also sixth in the 2012 Nordea Masters at Bro Hof Slott in Sweden.

In addition, Johnson has the benefit of past course experience having played here two years ago. He was 19th back then and can build on that here.

Thomas Bjorn is a two-time winner at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried even though they were back in 2000 and 2002.

However, his three-win season in 2011 reminded us that he's still capable of some excellent golf and he's showing that again in 2013.

Bjorn, with legendary bagman Billy Foster on the bag again this week, has really found his touch with form figures of 2-4-40-8 in his last four starts.

Foster reports that the Dane is "hitting it great" and given that he topped the putting stats in the Lyoness Open last time out everything seems in place for Bjorn to shine.

Take him at 33/1.

Paul Casey could be an interesting runner after his good display for the first three days of the US Open while Sergio Garcia will surely benefit from being back in the bosom of the European Tour after being given a hard time by the US fans at Merion.

Give Sergio pars at 14 and 15 for the four days and he would have won the tournament so those that watched him closely in the US Open are correct in saying he's playing superbly.

If he can avoid the big numbers, Sergio (runner-up here in 2011) could justify favouritism.